August 2017 News

Pulwama Encounter: Top LeT Terrorist Ayub Lelhari Gunned Down

16 August 2017Times of India

New Delhi: One Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in Banderpora village of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, police said. 'Ayub Lelhari District Commander LeT killed in Pulwama. Yet another success in the fight against militancy,' the state police said on its Twitter handle. Giving details of the gunfight, police said a 'naka' (check post) was set up in Banderpora (Koil) village jointly by Rashtriya Rifles, state police and CRPF after receiving information about the movement of the LeT district commander in the area. 'When the vehicle in which Ayub Lalhari was travelling was signalled to stop, it tried to jump the check post, after which the LeT commander started firing at the security forces,' the police said. 'Two policemen were injured in the initial firing after which an encounter started in which Lalhari was killed,' police said. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested. Lelhari's killing is a big set back for LeT in Kashmir. Lelhari came close to being killed by security forces, on August 1, in the same district that Wednesday's encounter occurred in. A stone-pelting mob however gave him cover to escape but LeT's another top terrorist Abu Dujana was killed in that encounter. Police has recovered one AK-47 from the encounter site.